 and POSCO have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) advancing POSCO’s hydrogen reduction ironmaking technology (HyREX).){kind=link}
BHP and POSCO partner up on ‘near zero emissions’ tech
BHP (ASX: BHP) and POSCO have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) advancing POSCO’s hydrogen reduction ironmaking technology (HyREX).
The technology eliminates the sintering and coking processes used in conventional integrated steelworks operations.
It consists of a hydrogen-based direct reduced iron (DRI) production process using fluidised bed reactors (FBR) and an electric smelting furnace (ESF) process for melting the reduced iron.
Trials are planned to be undertaken utilising BHP’s Pilbara iron ore at POSCO’s HyREX demonstration plant in Pohang, South Korea — which, when completed, will be the first facility using hydrogen-based (FBR) technology integrated with an ESF for ironmaking at scale.
POSCO has already been developing the hydrogen-based FBR technology at lab-scale and the ESF at pilot-scale. This collaboration will support the technology development of a scaled-up 300ktpa integrated hydrogen reduction FBR-ESF demonstration plant and include trials using BHP’s Pilbara iron ore.
BHP chief commercial officer Rag Udd says the collaborations marks another important step towards decarbonising the steel industry and supporting steel mills to potentially unlock multiple pathways to decarbonise steelmaking.
“This continues our longstanding collaboration in innovative ironmaking,” he said.
“We believe the best role we can play to advance decarbonisation steelmaking is to help our customers decarbonise through supporting the development of technologies and enabling those technologies to use Australian iron ore for decades to come.”
POSCO Future Steel R&D Centre head Myungjong Cho comments on the partnership. “Building on over 20 years of operational experience with the FINEX process, POSCO is developing HyREX, a hydrogen-based ironmaking technology utilising a fluidised bed reactor,” he said.
“We are currently constructing a HyREX demonstration plant with an annual production capacity of 300,000t to validate the process.
“Through this new R&D partnership with BHP, a global iron ore supplier bringing a wealth of know-how in the field, we’re looking to fast-track HyREX’s journey to commercial operation.”
Construction of POSCO’s demonstration plant at the Pohang Steelworks is expected to begin soon, with commissioning targeted for early CY28.